Army Strong
by Dazedmint
Summary: Callie and Arizona enlist and ship off to Basic Training in the United States Army. Follow them as they navigate the grueling, yet rewarding training as they discover the Army and themselves.
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing:** Callie/Arizona

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters, I'm just borrowing the names.

**Rating:** M (for language) for now.

**Author's Note:** I've had this idea floating in my head for a long while. I went to Basic Training a few years ago, and this was my way of remembering the amazing stories and experiences. Take out the romance, and the rest of the events are truthful and actually did occur. The language is very toned down, if you can believe it, but there's a saying in the military. "You may not remember your first girlfriend, but you'll never forget your first Drill Sergeant." DS B and DS M, I'll never forget you guys. Hooah!

If you have any questions about anything Army related or want to learn more, please don't hesitate to message me.

Don't forget to review it, criticism and encouragement are always welcomed! I want to improve my writing skills and need your help. Enjoy the story!

* * *

><p><strong>CH 1<strong>

"Ugh, I'm going to be sick...what was I thinking, Mark? I'm about to go through hell...12 weeks of yelling and pain...Oh god, I have to puke." Callie muttered to herself just before catapulting herself out of her aisle seat towards the bathroom.

"Calm down, Torres, it will be a piece of cake. Just a bit more exercise than usual, right?" Mark grinned towards his sick companion before looking away.

He couldn't quite get rid of the feeling that he spoke too soon.

****Flashback****

"Congratulations, Private Torres, welcome to the United States Army."

"Thanks, Sergeant," she sighed.

It had been a long day since she arrived at the MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) station for processing. A morning filled with written exams and uncomfortable medical exams was finally coming to an end just after taking her oath.

Callie recalled standing in a stark, sterile room with nearly 20 other girls nervously standing in their underwear. Noticing the hesitation of a girl standing in a corner, she stifled a giggle when she glanced down at the girl's lacy thong. Oh my...

"Really, that's what you're going with, soldier" Said the physician as she approached the hesitant girl. "The things I have to deal with," she mumbled softly.

Fortunately, the ordeal only lasted about half an hour and she was able to move on to the next station.

'I will never think of the duck walk the same again. At least, I wore decent underwear.' She thought.

"Ah, finally done?" Asked a voice behind her.

"I can't believe it's done, Mark. We're officially soldiers!"

Luckily, her best friend Mark was there with her, enlisting as well.

"We did it, Cal, it's real now. No going back."

Mark had been Callie's best friend since their sticky daycare years. Even at 5, Mark attempted to woo his friend into becoming something more, but it never seemed right to Callie.

There was something missing to Mark, but she couldn't quite figure it out just yet. He was good-looking, funny, smart, and an amazing friend, but something just wasn't clicking. Those famous butterflies have never invaded her stomach, not with Mark, and not with anyone she's ever dated. Maybe Erica, but she didn't want to open up that chapter again.

They had just graduated high school, and while Callie had a steady group of boys even girls lined up, she just wasn't into any of them. Maybe it was her.

'It doesn't matter, Callie thought. I have 4 years of badass, Army Hooah-ness to look forward to. Guns and explosives!..There is no time to think about relationships.'

*****Back on the Plane*****

Callie was relieved to feel the cold water on her face. She looked at herself in the dirty, airplane mirror. Today was the day that they shipped out to Basic Training...her last day of freedom.

"I can do this..."

* * *

><p>"If you don't calm down, Arizona, I'm going to put you in the front leaning rest right here in the aisle of the plane."<p>

"Shut it, Teddy. I can't help but feeling that I am in WAY over my head. I mean, what am I thinking. I'm Arizona Robbins for pete's sake, Miss Butterflies and Rainbows, and I'm shipping off to basic training. I'm not my dad, I'm not like Daniel, I'm ARIZONA! Oh, god. Drill sergeants...those hats...yelling...pushups..."

Teddy could only smile at her friend. Arizona was always adorable when she freaked out, but this was one time that she didn't have many words of encouragement for the rambling girl. She knew Arizona had authority issues and going into an environment filled with yelling and total control, so she had only sympathy for her friend.

Fortunately, though, their recruiter was able to snag 2 available spots together to the same place. So, while it was scary knowing that there were guys with big hats ready for them, she at least had her best friend for support.

The fasten seatbelt sign flashed on the ceiling, notifying the pair that they were starting their descent.

"Maybe they won't even notice me," Arizona said. Maybe she could get away unseen.

"Yeah, probably. There will be a lot of people, so I'm sure we'll be able to fly under the radar."

'Ha, one look at you and their going to eat you alive, AZ' thought Teddy.

* * *

><p>Once they landed in South Carolina, they were told to wait in a small waiting area. As the hours went by, more and more nervous kids showed up. With no directions nor updates coming from anywhere, all they could do is sit and wait.<p>

It wasn't until 1 am when they were finally enroute, by bus to the compound. 'Fort Jackson, Victory Starts Here,' Callie read on a sign.

"More like where happiness goes to die." joked a boy from the back of the bus.

The bus made a slow stop right outside a dimly lit building. Nervous chatter and whispers were shared by the full bus as everyone waited for instructions. Callie looked over towards Mark who was snoring loudly by now.

The bus door opened slowly to silence.

Then, there it was. Loud and fast steps made their way onto the bus and the whole scene shifted. The outline of the infamous campaign hat was enough to make Callie grip Marks hand with incredible strength.

The man slowly walked down the bus aisle staring down the new recruits as he passed. She quickly elbowed Mark in his ribs.

"Ouch, what the hell, Torres? I was enjoying a nice nap before this shit begins." Mark growled loudly completely unaware of what was going on. In no time, the Drill Sergeant had made his way to their row.

"Who the fuck do you think you are you little piece of shit? Huh? You think I wanna hear that annoying little mouth of yours?"

Mark sat silently at a loss for words.

"Since you don't think you need to pay any respect to me, we're all going to have a little fun. EVERYBODY OFF THE BUS NOW!"

Within 30 seconds, the entire bus was out doing pushups in the sandy grass outside the bus.

"In cadence - EXERCISE. 1, 2, 3, **1**! 1, 2, 3, **2**! 1, 2, 3, **3**!" It seemed like hours, but by the time they were done, the sweat was dripping off their foreheads, and Callie could only look at Mark with a look of pure anger.

The DS approached Mark. "What's your name, pretty boy?"

"Mark, sir…er-I mean Mark Sloan, sir!"

"Mark? Who the fuck do you think I am, you little shit? I'm not your friend, I'm not your family. I am your worst nightmare!"

He leaned down to his ear, "And, if you ever call me sir again, I will kick you so hard in the ass your nose will bleed. I work for a living, private, and you will address me as Drill Sergeant! Do you understand me?"

"Yes, s- Drill Sergeant!"

* * *

><p>The only thing going through Arizona's head was pain. Pain in her shoulders, her arms, even her fingers. It had only been a brief smoke session, but man, she was out of the game already not to mention she was ready for sleep. It was already 3am.<p>

"I swear if I ever see that Mark kid, I will have to strangle him." She groaned.

"Agreed," mumbled an equally exhausted Teddy.

They were currently sitting cramped within the benches of a depressing room filling out their first pieces of paperwork when another DS forcefully walked into the room.

* * *

><p>"Welcome to Fort Jackson. You will spend the next week or so within these halls filling out the largest amount of paperwork known to man. Wake up will be at 0330 and lights out will be at 2100. Since it is already 3, forget sleeping because the day has started."<p>

Mark gave Callie a disgusted look, when Mark's favority DS came strutting right up to us. "Wait, Sergeant, hold up! Pretty boy here seems dissatisfied by your instructions. So, private, you think you don't need to pay attention, huh?" His flying spit seemed to burn on your face.

"No, drill sergeant!"

"God help you in training, private, but I can guarantee that you're going to be a push-up beast by the end of basic with your attention span! Smoke sessions are going to be your best friend, soldier! Excuse the idiot, Sergeant."

"As I was saying, we'll be in here for the next 17 hours finishing paperwork and receiving your uniforms and equipment. Don't get used to this routine, Basic Training won't start for another week, but don't worry, you'll see your Drill Sergeants soon enough." She winked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rating: M** for language.

**A/N: **Thanks to all of you guys for checking the story out! I hope I didn't offend some of you with some of the language, though. Drill sergeants can have some pretty colorful ways of expressing themselves, and I've decided to tone it down some. It's definitely something you have to get used to, and you can't take it personally. Don't forget to drop some advice for me, since this is my first fic, and I'm in definite need of improvement.

If you're interested, this youtube link actually shows you some of the challenges and activities our awesome characters will face. I promise that there will be more bonding once training actually begins. ;) .com/watch?v=Az2a9y0JLGE

To **hollywoodsback**: Woo, a fellow battle! Yeah, that really sucks, especially since it was so early for you. I hope you made a full recovery. We had so many good soldiers leave with injuries and fractured bones, especially hips.

**Some Notes:** Front Leaning Rest Position: Push-up position. So, when you hear "Half-right, face," you know you're going to be pushing. Your fellow soldiers really are referred to as your Battle Buddies, or Battle for short. I know it sounds silly, but Basic is all about the buddy system and taking care of each other. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>An hour later, Callie found herself standing in line for the next 4 hours waiting for uniforms to be given out. First, she received her physical training uniform, which she was quickly ordered to changed into. They were sent to the bathrooms to change briefly, but Callie still managed to keep herself occupied with other things before changing. She just wasn't comfortable changing her clothing in front of these strangers. When she was sure that most of the girls have gone back, she awkwardly managed to change clothing at top speed. She hastily left the bathroom to avoid any stares and looks from the others, but because of carelessness, she managed to walk out before squaring herself away.<p>

A particularly harsh-looking DS managed to walk right up to Callie locking her dark eyes with her. "Soldier, stop. Let's play a little game, alright?" She calmly said with her heavy Southern drawl. Callie could only manage to swallow hard and nod.

"I spy, with my little eyes, a soup sandwich. Take a guess, private."

"Uh,…"

"Private, you look more confused than a blind lesbian at a fish market."

Callie looked down at herself before looking at the others. "Is - Is - Is it me, drill sergeant?"

At that exact moment, Arizona and Teddy slip out of the bathroom only to be faced by the drill sergeant. "You two. Come here." The quickly run up to the woman. "Names?"

"Altman, drill sergeant!" "Robbins, drill sergeant!" They say loudly.

"Can you tell me what's wrong with this soldier?"

"Um, her shirt is untucked, her hair is not up to standard, and her shoe laces are untied, drill sergeant," Proudly claimed Arizona. She prided herself in knowing the rules, regs, and drills of the military, but what happened next shocked her.

"Wow, Robbins, you seemed to know your regs, but I guess the chapter on being a good battle buddy flew over your head, huh? What, you think that you since you know it all, that it's OK to let a soldier step out of that bathroom looking like a cluster-fuck?" The entire room fell silent.

"You know what, Torres, stand right here. And, you two…HALF-RIGHT FACE. FRONT LEANING REST POSITION - MOVE! Torres, you will be leading the push-ups with a simple '_Up/Down_' command. And, when the two of you go down I wanna hear '_Need to be_,' and when you go up 'a better battle buddy.' Torres, start!"

Callie guiltily looked at the two blonde girls and quietly started.

"Down." - "Need to be!"

"Up." - "A better battle buddy!"

"Down." - "Need to be!"

"Up." "A better battle buddy!"

Callie began to blush furiously, and her eyes focused themselves on her shoes. Because of her mistake, these two girls were pushing for a good 5 minutes before the drill sergeant told Arizona to accompany Callie back into the bathroom to 'figure it out.' Turning even redder, Callie followed right behind Arizona.

"Hey, Robbins. I'm sorry I-"

"Just shut it, Torres. Tuck your shirt in, tie your shoes, and I'll show you how to put your hair into a bun." She angrily replied. She was livid. Why should she be punished because this girl was a complete mess. It's not fair, and now, she wanted to apologize? 'She must be all kinds of crazy.'

"I said I was sorry. I - I -"

"Just stop talking. At least, I can still look at your gorgeous face without hearing your ridiculous stutter." Arizona shot a look at the other girl and suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

"Look, I'm sorry, it's just that I'm not used to ever getting in trouble. I don't do well with authority figures - Yeah, not the best career choice - Anyway, we got off to a bad start and I just want to say I'm sorry."

Callie still hadn't managed to pay attention to anything that came out of the blonde's mouth. 'She - Robbins - a hot girl - just said that I had a gorgeous face. Gorgeous. Not pretty but gorgeous.' Callie continued to stare.

"Um, I said I was sorry. Torres? Torr-?"

Callie shook away her thoughts and just blurted it out, "You're gorgeous, too!" 'Damn that word vomit.' "I mean, I'm sorry, too!"

The door banged open, "Really, what is this? A stupid festival? HURRY. UP."

Quickly finishing up, they both ran back to their line. They were standing at parade rest awfully close to one another in line (heel to toe, as the DS called it) in alphabetical order. Callie was standing right behind Arizona her toes making contact with the other girls shoes. She was still blushing at her earlier remarks…'God, could I have been more of a creeper.' It was at that moment that her knees became week and a flush of light-headedness crept through her. Because of this, she was momentarily forced to lean on the girl in front of her. Grateful for the girl's lack of offense, she was about to mutter a quick thanks when her nose acted up.

That was when she smelled the most wonderful, citrus smell coming from the girl in front of her. She was happy that Arizona couldn't see her face since it was official: she was a creeper. 'Who smells someone else…Then again, who smells this nice? What's one more sniff anyways."

What Callie was too oblivious to notice was that Arizona was also having serious problems standing still. She just hoped that Callie didn't notice her squirm for most of the afternoon. 'She told me I was gorgeous, too. I can't believe I just blurted that out to her. Was she mocking me? What does this mean? Do I really care?' Questions swirled around her head. She really wanted to talk to the brunette standing dangerously close to her more, but the risk of push-ups made it too daunting for her taste.

Around the corner, Callie noticed a couple of nervous boys getting chewed out by another DS. You could tell that they just got their heads shaved, and were wearing their horrid BCGs, or military issued glasses. 'No wonder they're nicknamed Birth-Control Goggles. You are definitely not seeing any action in those things. 'Oh my god, Mark is bald and he wears contacts. No way! This is going to be awesome!' Callie smirked. Hopefully, they were going to be placed in the same company. She doesn't know how well she'd fare without her best friend next to her.

'Maybe Robbins will be with me.' Callie couldn't hold back her grin at the idea of seeing this girl and a bald Mark everyday for the next 10 weeks.

Of course a loud voice had to cut through her happy thoughts.

"Don't lock your knees, troops, you will cut the circulation in your legs and you will pass out. I will laugh at you and when you come to, you will be doing push-ups. I'm looking at you, Torres, and wipe that goofy look on your face, you look stupid!"

"Yes, drill sergeant!"

* * *

><p>At the end of the day, she was issued her first pairs of the Army Combat Uniform. After quickly putting it on, she stared into the dirty mirror at her reflection. The crisp digital camouflage pattern contrasted her dark complexion; her name tapes velcroed onto her proud chest. She stood tall for one of the first times in her life. 'Hell, if only my father could see me now,' Callie smiled.<p>

It was a matter of seconds before when the front door of the room was violently kicked open.

"Good evening, soldiers! Everyone off their beds and form a u-shape around me! Take a knee, privates. I am here to give you a hygiene lesson since some of you are disgusting pigs who have no idea what a goddamn bar of soap is." Everyone giggled. "It's not funny. Some of you seriously smell bad. This is what you will do, soldiers. In basic, you will shower EVERY NIGHT! You will brush your little teeth and apply your deodorant BEFORE bed. In the morning, you will brush your teeth and deodorize AGAIN. I expect and hope that all of you will keep your battle buddies in check."

A small girl nervously raised her hand.

"What, soldier?"

"Are the showers private?" She squeaked out.

The DS just chuckled. "This is the army, soldiers. There's no such thing as privacy. You eat, live, breathe, and yes...shower together. Tell you what, if someone refuses to shower, you have my permission to forcibly haul that person into a shower and bathe them. Just don't tell me or anyone else about it. Anyway, there's 2 hours before lights out. Go wash up, soldiers, you all smell terrible!"

'Group showers? What the hell?' Callie had never thought about the prospect of having to expose herself to her comrades.

She wasn't normally shy, but she had always been self-conscious about her body. Now, the prospect of standing in a room naked filled with dozens of others terrified her. 'What am I going to do?'

The shower consisted of a gaudy, yellow tiled room with 6 spouts on opposite walls. So, 12 girls would shower at a time. '11 girls making fun of me. They're just going to laugh at me.' Callie could feel the anxiety overwhelm her as her heart threatened to explode out of her chest.

There were exactly 24 girls in her barracks, so there was going to be 2 shower turns before they started to wash and dry them for the night. A few girls had just finished their turn when it was Callie's turn. No one else seemed to mind much as they made their way towards the shower room. Mindless chattering continued into the shower.

'Here goes nothing' Callie thought, slowly hanging her towel up with dread written across her face. A cold chill began to wash over her naked body when there was an outburst of laughter behind her.

'Oh god, why? Why does it always have to be? Can't they just leave me alone?'

Trying to hide her tears, Callie just slumped her head down and tried to keep herself composed and focused on the moldy tiles below. Her hands gripped her upper arms, nails digging into her skin.

"Hahaha, seriously, Smitty? A tweety bird...on your ass of all places? Haha, only you."

Turning around, Callie was surprised to notice that all the girls had their backs to her. They were laughing at another girl's ridiculous tattoo that really was on the girl's butt cheek. After the commotion died down, the atmosphere in the shower relaxed as they stood under the warm streams of water.

'See, they're not even paying attention to you. It's not so bad after all. Just wash up and get out.'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Ah, the lack of privacy is definitely something that bothered alot of folks. In the end, though, you realize how much of a non-issue it is, and it really forces you to bond with your buddies. Unfortunately, I did have to wear the ugly BCGs all throughout my training. They're super strong and make you look uber-sexy. Google them, they're a riot!

Next chapter will hit the topics of "**Shot Day**: The worst day ever (for me)" and "**Day Zero**," when Training begins and all hell breaks loose. We'll see where our girls end up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rating: M** for Language

**A/N: **So what if I have an unfinished paper due in a few hours...I'm going to go ahead and write another chapter! Sleep can wait! Thanks again for taking the time to read the trouble these kids are getting into in Basic Training. This is the last of reception (thank god) and the training begins. Don't worry, the drill sergeants get even better from here. :) In this chapter, I recall the two worst days that I had at Basic...

I must give some credit to the greatest DS (well DI) on the planet, Gunnery SGT. R. Lee Emery, for one of the quotes. Watch him here for one of the greatest moments in military film history. .com/watch?v=aUc62jD-G0o

Don't forget to review it and send some words my way! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

* * *

><p>Today was S-Day. For some, it's the worst day of reception...Immunization day. For today's event, they were joined up with the boys' company, which outnumbered them drastically. They once again stood heel to toe in alphabetical order, but due to the sheer number of guys, Callie's blond girl was nowhere to be seen.<p>

As the line snaked around the hallway, she caught sight of another guy turning around, seemingly searching for someone. As Callie's eyes locked onto the mystery guy's, it clicked. 'Oh my god.' The smile on her face grew larger as she tried to withhold the growing laugh echoing in her mind.

In all his glory, stood the infamous ladies' man - her best friend - without a lick of hair and BCGs strapped to his head. 'The bald look kind of fits, but those glasses…where's a cell phone when you need one.'

"You look hot." She mouthed towards him.

"Oh, shut up, at least I'm still….." He responded quickly snapping his face back in front of him.

'What was that about…' Callie wondered.

"Hollywood, you wanna hear a joke?" The DS yelled out.

"Uh, sure, drill sergeant"

"Knock, knock,"

"Who's there?"

"It's your drill sergeant, now start pushing!"

Mark immediately dropped down in a huff.

* * *

><p>They were told that they were going to get a series of shots determined by their previous immunization history. Unfortunately for her, her parents had misplaced her records, and she had nothing to go by.<p>

As they entered the room one by one, they were given a piece of paper that included the shots needed.

'Shit, shit, shit...low number, low number...' Callie mumbled.

"It's your lucky day, soldier! Hep A+B, Tetanus, MMR, TB, H1N1, nasal flu, and the lovely Peanut Butter shot! Next!"

"8 shots?" She desperately asked with pleading eyes.

"Welcome to the Army, private, now GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

And, one by one they went past each station like an assembly line. Young medics were one injecting the shots to squirming soldiers with little interest and care. For every soldier walking into the room, the long streaks of blood dripping down everyone's arms were always a welcoming sight.

"This here's your peanut butter shot, private." The medic said.

"Peanut butter shot?"

"It's a thick shot and will hurt you for a few days. Just try not to put too much pressure on your ass. Now, turn around and lift your shorts."

* * *

><p>By the end of the day, they were all feeling the soreness. Sitting down in the chow hall, in particular had proven to be a challenge for some. Hoping for an uneventful night, Arizona headed towards the barracks with her platoon with relief. She was eager to shower and sleep, especially because her arms feel like death. She had only needed 4 shots, but she felt dead all the same.<p>

"COMPANY FORMATION!"

"Ugh, can't we ever get a break! And, basic training hasn't even started, Teddy!"

"C'mon, AZ, tuck in your shirt and let's get this over with."

Once in a massive formation, Arizona could barely hear what the DS was yelling. She scanned the faces of the opposite platoon with a bored and annoyed stare. It wasn't until her eyes landed on a gorgeously tanned girl with dark locks that she composed herself. It was that Torres girl from the other day. She had to admit, this girl was definitely something. Her tight bun complemented her stoic, intense expression, and of course the uniform made her look so…..sexy. There's something about a girl in a uniform.

'Whoa, AZ. Cool it. This is not the place for crushes…especially since you can't do a thing about it. Don't ask, don't tell is the rule of the land, and you're not going to throw away your career for some hot girl.'

Feeling eyes burning into her, Callie immediately made eye contact with the source and held her stare. It wasn't until she felt a push from her right side that she was forced to look away. Everyone around her began doing over-head arm claps, so she quickly followed suit. What she wasn't prepared for was the searing pain that coursed through her muscles as she lifted her arms, and they had just started.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Their last day at reception was, for the most part, uneventful with mostly packing to be done. In the past 5 days, most of them were falling into the structured routine. Callie hadn't heard much from Mark as the boys lived in separate barracks and did their own thing. Things were going fine for her, even though she hadn't seen the blond girl since that night of torture. She began learning more and bonding with some of the other privates there, but she also learned that getting along with some of these girls was going to be a lot harder than she thought.<p>

"Hey, Grey!" She looked warily at her bunkmate. "There's no way you're going fit all your stuff into that duffel. Haha"

"Oh, shut it, Robbins. I'll make it work"

"My brother came here for Basic, last year, and he said to try to fit all you could into your duffel because you get yelled at for having a full laundry bag." A small, nervous girl named Kepner squeaked out.

"Ugh, there's no way that this is going to fit. I'm definitely not looking forward to getting yelled at, but tell your brother thanks for the tip!"

With the help of a minor miracle, Arizona managed to get all of her things into the green duffel bag. Her arms were already sore from jamming the last of her issued items into the bag.

"Well, that's one less thing to get yelled at for." Arizona grumbled.

They had just finished lunch chow when 3 5-ton trucks roared through the grounds screeching to a halt in front of their massive formation.

"What the heck is this?" Teddy whispered to Arizona, who looked like she had just seen a ghost.

The doors of the trucks opened up and all hell broke loose. Around 12 Drill Sergeants ran around with booming voices commanding the more than 150 privates to grab their bags and throw them onto the truck.

Collective chaos and confusion ensued throughout the whole grounds. The drill sergeants were livid and out of control as they teamed up to verbally assault some of the recruits. The sore thumbs and weakest soldiers were easily spotted and targeted first.

Arizona and Teddy were quickly separated as they ran towards the trucks lugging their bags and throwing up onto the backs of them. Confused as to what to do next, the pair stood awkwardly amidst the crowd.

"Hey! Don't stand there looking lost! Get the hell on the bus, privates!"

The bus ride to their company grounds was in complete silence as the drill sergeant stared down and sized up every recruit. You could almost hear the pounding of heartbeats as realization hit every soldier. On arrival, the same chaos continued. After locating their bags, they were forced into a formation.

"Everyone grab your duffles! Hold them over your head!" Yelled a drill sergeant. "Keep them up there!"

'Shit!' Thought Arizona. Since she had managed to fit everything into her bag earlier, it was way heavier than most of the other recruits. After a few minutes, the pain was becoming unbearable as the DS continued their yelling. Every muscle in her body seemed to burn, her sweat began rolling furiously down her back, and her heart nearly exploded.

'I'm going to kill Kepner AND her brother!' She thought as she rested the bag on her head for a few seconds. 'Ugh, how much longer?'

"What's wrong, Blondie? Too much to handle, you can't do it, you wanna quit? How tall are you, private?"

"5' 5, Drill sergeant."

"5' 5? I didn't know they piled shit that high! You're so damn weak! How do you expect to go into real-live combat when you can't even hold a bag over your head!"

She couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Her arms burned at the weight and the verbal abuse had become too much. She was so mad at herself for breaking down on her first day that it only brought more tears. She was Arizona Robbins, the military brat. She grew up making her bed with hospital corners, for christ's sake! Then, why is this so hard?

"Look at you! You're crying! Things get a little stressful and all you can do is cry. You're fucking weak, Robbins." He gave her a disappointed look before looking for another victim.

* * *

><p>'I can do this. I can do this. You can't quit, now. You're a Torres and you're badass!' She repeated it in her head. Her Mantra. It kept her going when she thought she reached her end.<p>

"Torres! You look tired, you wanna let go? You know what? I'll let you put that down for a few seconds. How 'bout it?"

"No, drill sergeant."

"What was that? Stop trying to seduce me and speak louder!"

"No, drill sergeant!" She yelled with all her might.

"Why not!"

"Because I'm an American Soldier and we don't quit, drill sergeant!"

"Fan-fucking-tastic, Torres! That's what I want to hear! Robbins, get your weak ass over here!" He yelled over his soldier.

'Robbins? Alright, Callie, act smooth, no weakness' She somehow managed to stand a little taller.

Arizona quickly headed her way, her heavy bag in tow.

"Robbins, this is Torres, and she's a real soldier. She's motivated, she's not a quitter, and she sure as hell doesn't cry. You will be her battle buddy for the rest of the day. Maybe she can teach you how find a pair of balls!" He yelled before leaving.

"Hey, are you ok?" Callie noticed the tear-streaked, red cheeks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just having a hard time with all this. I don't think I can't do this." Arizona started to bring down the bag from above her head when she felt an arm shove the duffle back up.

"Don't you dare quit, Robbins. Do you hear me? I will never leave a fallen comrade, and I'm sure as hell not about to let you fail!" She surprised even herself. Where was this coming from?

Somehow finding her second wind, Arizona shoved the duffle over her head and held her head up high.

"You got this, Robbins. Too easy!"

It seemed like hours before they were finally allowed to drop their bags onto the floor. The area was whisper quiet for a few seconds as everyone caught their breath.

"Line up for Chow!"

* * *

><p>After the 3-minute dinner, the soldiers returned to the company where they were placed into groups based on their gender and race. Callie noticed that her group consisted of only 10 other Hispanic females. 'Not too bad, I guess, but I'm still freakishly taller than the rest of them.'<p>

"You will now be separated into your platoons, soldiers! Your platoon will become your family. You battle buddies will be your support system and you will help each other grow. By the time you are done here, you will be willing to take a bullet for any of these guys. You will be a band of brothers in the military family. So, it would BEHOOVE you to get along!"

After numbering themselves from 1-4 in each group, they ran to their respective platoon areas with their things awaiting further instructions.

"Torres!" A familiar voice shouted.

Upon hearing her name, Callie turned around. "Mark! Oh my god, tell me you got Second platoon." She went to hug him.

"Second platoon, hell yeah! And, look at the hotties we have!" As he engulfed her in a bear hug.

Looking around, Callie's eyes scanned the crowd of approaching troops when her eyes landed on the person she wanted to see. Lucky for her, Arizona and Teddy had also drawn the lucky number 2.

"Looks like we have some platoon incest going on," pointed Teddy. Looking to where she was pointing, Arizona's heart dropped a little as she witnessed the little display of affection going on between Torres and another guy. They obviously had a history, but Arizona could still feel the familiar pang of jealousy hitting her heart.

Callie noticed that there were about 45 soldiers per platoon, she noticed as she kept scanning the crowd. There's Kepner, Red, and some other recognizable faces. 'Can it get any better than this?' Callie smiled. This would definitely make things easier.

* * *

><p>As the evening drew to a close, they were moved into their respective platoon barracks. The barracks included 15 sets of bunk beds with blue nametapes at the end of each. Arizona searched for her last name through the beds eagerly awaiting to see who would be her battle buddy for the rest of her time. Upon finding it, she noticed that she was on the bottom bunk, and the name tape above her read…<p>

'Torres? It's her…that's her name. She's my battle buddy!' Her giddyness threatening to come out of her body before remembering the earlier display.

"Looks like we're bunking together. Of all people, huh? Best luck I've had all day" Callie said to the blond.

"Yeah, I just can't wait to get to bed." She answered quietly as she threw herself onto her bed.

The water in the barracks was apparently on the fritz, so showers were to wait until the next day. Sniffing under her armpits, 'Still good,' thought Arizona.

'More sleep for me, though.' Arizona smiled to herself as the lights turned off signaling bed time.

Due to the day's stress, everyone was easily out within minutes, but they night wasn't over just yet. In 30 minutes, a series of Drill Sergeants ran in screaming and yelling for everyone to get up and stand in front of their beds. Disoriented and confused, Callie all but fell off her top bunk as she scrambled to the end of the bed.

"Wake up, soldiers and start pushing! This is how we celebrate Day Zero in Basic!"

After 5 minutes of pushups, the drill sergeants left as fast as they came. Everyone settled back into their beds, confusion etched into their faces.

"At least that's over!" Mumbled another girl.

Since nothing is that easy, exactly an hour later, they were once again woken up violently.

"Woo! Get up! I hope you guys are having fun because I sure as hell am. You wanna know how much I miss you? I will be waking you up, every hour on the hour, for the rest of the night. The Army states that I need to provide you with at least 4 hours of sleep of night. Well, guess what, privates? They never said it had to be consecutive!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **What a day, huh? Total control is what the first three weeks of training are all about. Wherever you go, there's a drill sergeant there. The goal is to break you down and mold you into a soldier. In the next chapter, we'll see them deal with some difficult obstacles, sleep deprivation, and some late-night bonding between the troops. ;)

Don't forget to review! Viel Dank!


	4. Chapter 4

**Rating: M**

**A/N:** Sorry about the delay on this update. Had computer issues, but all's well, now. Thank you so much for sticking with me on this. You guys rock my little army socks! We finally see some progression between our two girls. Yeay! Don't worry, though. Things are about to get heated in the next few chapters...

**arizonalove:** It's awesome that you're thinking about enlisting! Combat engineer and EOD, wow! Give all my praises to your brothers, they're doing some serious work. I'm an 88M (or an IED locator, according to my old DS)...basically, I drive anything that runs and gun any weapon that can be mounted. I love the big rigs, but make sure you look at all your options before you sign! And, don't worry about training. The drill sergeants are there to help you succeed. It's all mental and it really is alot of fun...fun that you never want to have again, of course. **:)**

I apologize for the mistakes in advance, I'm super sleep deprived. I think I went a little comma crazy. **:(** Also, I'm not too thrilled at the way the chapter ended up, but hopefully I can post another chapter tonight. Don't forget to drop me some words, be it good or bad**!**

* * *

><p>The next few days were a whirlwind of stress and total sleep deprivation. It was interesting to note the various positions where one could fall to sleep in. The biggest challenge was to simply fight off the urge to close your eyes for more than one second. Ironically, the worst part, were the constant power point slides indoctrinating them on Army policy and rules. They had seen what a "good wake up" was, and soldiers will do anything to stay awake. Pinching themselves, each other, and especially using hand sanitizer were just a few of the methods. Some chose to smell it deeply, while the more extreme put it under their eyes for a good sting.<p>

"So, that's all about Sexual Assault, privates. I'm sure none of you fucknuts paid attention, but I'll ask anyway because I have to. What's the first thing you should after you get sexually assaulted?"

"Smoke!" was shouted from the back of the room.

"Goddamnit, Private! Your mother should have swallowed you! I'd smoke you to death right now, but I really want to go home. So, everyone shut up! We have one more to go…The Homosexual Conduct policy!"

"One more to go! I don't think I can take any more of this hand sanitizer. You need to keep me awake, alright?" Callie whispered towards her blond Battle Buddy.

"Don't worry, I'm on it," Arizona winked.

Their bonding, over the last few days, had escalated into not-so-subtle flirting. Everything from not-so-innocent touches during their morning exercise to innuendos about every little thing. After her Day Zero difficulties, Arizona was back to her usual perky demeanor. She was the one who happily woke Callie up on time, prepared her for the day, and made her smile after a grueling smoke session. They were each others' work wives. Normally, this kind of girl was the exact kind Callie avoided, but on Arizona, it was simply too adorable.

The whole momentum of their relationship changed the night before. During their first night guard shifts, Callie had inadvertently 'outed' herself to Arizona.

******Flashback******

"That should be it." Callie whispered as she made her way towards the front desk. All their cleaning work had to be done before their two-hour night shift ended. At that point, all the need to do is keep a constant weapons count and make sure no one attempted to sneak out. It was now 0030, and they had 30 minutes to spare.

"Sweet, I can't wait to get to bed. We still have a bit, so I wanna get to know the famous Torres a little better."

"Ok, what do you want to know?"

"Let's start with the basics. MOS and why you joined."

"Well, I'm a 68 Whiskey, Combat Medic, and I joined because I needed to get away from my life for a few years."

"Super! I'm a 68W, too!" 'What an awesome coincidence.' She said before her eyes dropped a bit. "My brother was a Marine, he - he was killed in Iraq. A massive IED blasted through his Hummvee, and he laid bleeding out on the road for nearly an hour. A couple of the medics in his Convoy were killed, and there were too many casualties for the other ones to handle. My brother died because there weren't enough medics. This is the least I could do for him, for myself, and my country. I ultimately decided on the Army over the Marines because I'm terrified of water. It was a difficult decision, but I don't regret it. Boots on the ground at all times, for me, you know?"

"I'm so sorry, Robbins. I know you're going to make your brother proud, though. You're going to save lives out there." She said sincerely.

"Can we talk about something else? I really don't want to get into this tonight. I want to know more about you. Tell me how you and Sloan met?"

"Um, we are old school buddies, so he's been there for me during some hard times. He's a great guy, loves the girls a little too much, but he's still my guy."

"Doesn't that make you all lime-green jello? I don't think I could see my boyfriend gawking at other girls."

"First of all, jello, really? I'm guessing you mean jealous, so no. Why would I care who my best friend dates? That's on him. As long as we don't steal each other's girlfriends, then we're good." 'Fuck...word vomit'

Arizona sat there floored. "Wait, girlfriends? Are you-, why-, I mean, seriously?" English was seemingly not her language at this moment.

'Shit. Way to go, Callie. Now, she's all freaked out about it.' "Look, I'm sorry, but please don't tell any of the others. I can see that it makes you really uncomfortable. But, please don't say anything. I'll do all your fireguard work, I'll clean your weapon, whatever you want." Her tears threatened to fall out. Her breathing shortened.

"Torres, shut up." That excitingly giddy feeling of coming out was surging. "It's ok. Though the weapons cleaning sounds tempting, I do have to confess that I, too, am a vagitarian." Ending it with a thousand-watt smile.

"Really? Wow, you flew right under my gaydar." She couldn't stop smiling. "That's awesome! I'm not alone in this shithole!"

"Alone? Torres, it's the Army. Have you seen the girls? Heck, half of the girls in our own platoon are donut bumpers."

******Flashback******

Callie looked at her battle for a few seconds. She knew she was holding her a stare a little longer than was appropriate, but she couldn't take her eyes off the blond. Her hair was french braided perfectly giving her an air of innocence, her bright blue eyes were so full of emotion. Arizona was beautiful, she had to admit, but that was where she was going to leave it. Arizona was the stability and support that she was going to need for the next few months. Not to mention 16 weeks of advanced training after basic. She can't mess this up by attempting to act on her feelings. Her career and friendship were too important to just throw away.

'No dirty thoughts, Callie.'

Feeling eyes burning into her, Arizona caught the girl's dark gaze within hers. Those eyes held a depth that overwhelmed Arizona. Taking in the latina's beauty, a familiar tingling sensation crept up her midsection. It was all the confirmation she needed.

**"_Alright, privates. Homosexual conduct is admitting it, committing it, or attempting to marry…"_**

Arizona, deciding to be the good battle buddy she was, was ready to take this to another level. Their flirting throughout the morning had become a bit heated, and she was ready to make her move. Slyly, she pulled her arm under the table and calmly placed her hand on Callie's thigh. Upon hearing the girl's swift intake of air, she decided to get a little bolder; letting her fingertips gently trail little circles on her uniform.

**"_You will not be asked about your sexual orientation, though with some of you guys, I know you shit rainbows…"_**

'Oh, god.' Callie quickly took a breath before raggedly letting it out, her cheeks flushing instantly. 'This is not happening. Is she insane, what is she doing?' The little circles were moving ever so slowly up her burning thigh. Daring a glance towards the blonde, Callie noticed that her eyes were glued to the front. A barely visible and innocent smile graced her lips.

**"_Listen to me, privates. Gay or straight you will not place your hands on each other…."_**

The fingers inched their way nearer and nearer to her throbbing area, her nails dragging across her leg firmly. Each movement igniting more fires throughout her body. Callie's heart began beating erratically, threatening to pound out of her flushed chest. Her breathing becoming ever so shallow. 'We could get caught at any moment.'

**"_If we catch you, you will get hit with a DADT, fraternization, and possibly a sodomy charge depending on which bases you're sliding into…"_**

'This is absolutely insane! What am I doing?' The words ran through Arizona's head. This was not like her. Here she was, teasing a fellow soldier under a table under the watchful eyes of drill sergeants. Stealing a look at her current objective, she could see her cheeks flushed with desire and twitching eyes threatening to roll back. 'Control yourself, Torres.'

**"_You careers will be over….there are no second chances…"_**

The danger of their secret activity only excited the blonde to the point of pure ecstasy. Making one last movement, she pressed her palm against the one point Callie needed the most, feeling the intense heat radiating inside. It felt perfect...so natural. She applied even more pressure, cursing the digital camo pants for separating them.

Callie couldn't stand it anymore. She was pushed to the absolute limits of her self-discipline, and her body took a will of its own. 'No, no, no-' Her dark eyes fluttering shut as a loud, raggedy breath escaped her open lips.

Her awkwardly loud groan had caught the attention of everyone around them, and they turned around, giving the brunette curious looks. Quickly pulling her arm back, Arizona attempted to focus on anything but the numerous eyes upon her, at the moment.

Panicking, both girls sharply shot looks towards the front of the classroom in the hopes of salvation. Relief flooded their faces as they noticed the drill sergeant, oblivous to them, was still talking.

**_"All in all, privates, don't be gay, don't be stupid, and don't be hatin' on the homos._"**

'That was way too close.' Callie inwardly sighed. 'How was she supposed to get any relief here, it was torturous. There was absolutely no privacy!'

"You're mean, Robbins. Really effing mean." Callie softly groaned. Pushing away any dirty thoughts about a one blonde's nimble fingers.

"Kept you "up," didn't I?" She smirked.

"Um, if that's what you want to call it."

Arizona looked towards her brunette battle lovingly and could only wink with a self-satisfied look on her face.

Their moment, however, was roughly cut short. "GET. UP. Both of you." A female drill sergeant whispered sharply in their ears, leading them outside the classroom.

'Fuck!'

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Oh, snap! They never stop, do they? I really do hate hand sanitizer, now. I swear I lost a good handful of brain cells just keeping myself awake.

**Side note:** IEDs are Improvised Explosive Devices, or roadside bombs. These are the #1 killers of coalition forces, with over 70%.

**_"The days he'd lived and loved and laughed kept running through his mind, _**

**_He thought about the girl back home, the one he'd left behind;_**

**_He thought about the medics, and wondered what they'd find,_**

**__And he ain't gonna jump no more.__**

**_Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die, _**

**_Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die,_**

**_Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die._**

**_And he ain't gonna jump no more!_**_** " - Blood Upon the Risers**  
><em>


	5. Chapter 5

**Edited!**

**Rating: M**

**A/N: **Sorry about the lack of update, last night. Sleep finally caught up to me, but let's hope I can update this on a daily basis. I know they moved very fast in the last chapter, but let's see where this goes.

**Aislreigh: **DADT in basic and in Active Duty land are treated vastly different. Even I could not believe the amount of hooking up that occurred. It was so common place to run into girls fooling around. No one asked, no one told. ;)

**TBrennanFan:** Yeah, I get a bit carried away when I write, so I have to remember to stop throwing acronyms around. I hope you decide that the military is for right for you. Good on you for getting your education first! It will definitely help you move up the ladder, should you stay in longer.

Don't forget to review! Love you guys a bunch!

* * *

><p><em>Their moment, however, was roughly cut short. "GET. UP. Both of you." A female drill sergeant whispered sharply in their ears, leading them outside the classroom.<em>

_'Fuck!'_

Without warning, a searing pain shot through Callie's nose, stinging her eyes, and hazing her hearing. Her eyes were shrouded in darkness, and she lifted her head from the table confused and taken aback. 'Was I asleep?' She turned to look to her side only to see an equally groggy and confused Arizona.

Arizona's eyes shot open with surprise. Feeling a warmth on her chin, she quickly swiped her fingers touching a sticky warm liquid….drool. 'What the hell?' As she took in her surroundings she noticed the entire classroom staring at them with big smirks and suppressed giggles.

"Nice of you guys to finally wake up! I'm sorry for interrupting your obviously wet dreams!"

"We weren't sleeping, drill sergeant. I swear." Arizona croaked. 'That couldn't have been a dream, right?'

"Oh really, now I'm a liar, huh? You know what, I think it's time for a trip to the beach. We're going to have fun with you two. Since you felt the need to interrupt my class with your dreams and moaning, I'm going to smoke you two until your hands moan!"

* * *

><p>It was late in the afternoon when their beach trip ended. The beach consisted of a massive sand pit that was purely used for corrective training. Lowhigh crawls, mountain climbers, suicides, big wheels, rowers…..over and over again. Pain. Just when the pain became unbearable, the drill sergeant told them to go back. By the time they made it to the barracks, every part of their body was crying out for rest. Sure, they've been smoked before, but never with this much intensity and….sand. The sand covered every piece of their uniform and body. Placed where it should never be.

The arrived back at the barracks late, so as they entered, most of the platoon was busy writing letters and getting to bed. Quickly stripping themselves of their sandy, sweat-soaked uniforms, they headed towards the shower. Upon entering, they realized that they were the only 2 in there. Neither of them was daring enough to look towards the other. The built up tension of the day surrounded the two in an eerie silence.

Hoping to ease the tension Arizona spoke first. "I still can't believe we fell asleep. I really had no idea, so I seriously thought he was picking on us."

"Yeah, I was actually dreaming, and it definitely did feel real." Callie said, not bothering to look at the girl.

"Really?" Arizona's interest peaking. "What was it about?"

"Oh, uh, nothing. Just about back home."

"Oh, ok."

* * *

><p>Ending her shower, Callie made a bee line for her towel, quickly drying herself off. Arizona willed herself not too take a look at her buddy. She had seen herself naked before, but not with the fire that had built up earlier. 'It's not right. She's not letting you look at her that way.' Ignoring her better judgment, she quickly took a peek at the gorgeous girl.<p>

Her skin glistened in the steamy room, water droplets leaving trails down her strong back. Her hair was up in a towel exposing her delicate neck. Trailing her eyes lower, she followed the curvature of her back until a towel roughly obstructed her view. Callie walked out of the shower room leaving an exasperated Arizona alone in the steam.

* * *

><p>After some morning exercise and chow, a placard was placed in front of the company grounds stating that today was "MAC". The grounds were covered in giant, blue mats, and the sight of medics idling nearby was troubling.<p>

"Hey, Z, what's going on today? What's MAC?" Teddy asked as she approached Arizona. Arizona always seemed to know what the endless LMNOPs of the military were.

"It stands for Modern Army Combatives. Its hand to hand combat." She said excitedly.

"Sweet! We're learning something fun, finally! Will you be my partner, please, please, please?" Teddy pleaded. "If I have to move in awkwardly sexual positions, I'd want it to be with you."

"First of all, ew. Haha, but you do have a point there."

A little disappointed, Arizona nodded a yes towards her best friend. She had been looking forward to working with Callie during this. She knew if was dangerous, but the idea of rolling around in an close, rough way with the brunette excited her. 'Who am I kidding? I want that girl badly.'

Throughout the morning, the two were slowly warming back up to each other. The flirtyness of their banter was gone, but they still spoke warmly towards each other. Things still weren't the same, but at least the tension was finally gone.

"Soldiers, the focus of combatives is to gain a dominant position. These lessons will show you how to disable your opponent in order to dominate them. If you ever find yourself without your weapon and in close proximity to the enemy, combatives will save your life. I'm being serious. If you are ever disarmed in theater, the terrorists WILL attempt to take you alive. You have a limited amount of space to fight for your life. There is a reason we teach you this. Don't forget your body is the only true weapon you can rely on!"

The morning was spent learning the various positions/moves and how to gain the upper hand. They had learned how to break ankles, arms, and choke holds. It was exhausting to say the least.

After successfully mounting Teddy and gaining control, Arizona decided to rest for a minute and grab some water. She scanned the area looking for for a familiar figure when her eyes landed on the red-faced, panting Callie under another female soldier. She noticed the pained expression on her face as she grappled with the other girl. Callie was currently disabled by the other girls thighs wrapped around her.

Unable to help it, Arizona felt a slight pang of jealousy as she took in the sight of another girl on top of Callie. That could have been her.

* * *

><p>'Think, think, Callie. I need to somehow flip this girl off of me.'<p>

Recalling an earlier lesson, she grabbed the girls arm and using her weight, she spun them around. After a few seconds of struggling, Callie had managed to mount her opponent, digging her knees into the girl's armpits, and wrapping her legs around her.

"That was hot." She mumbled under her breath. She was still cursing the fact that Teddy had caught her before she found Callie. Though, even at a distance, Arizona was content in watching her in a primal mode.

"Ready for me to whoop your ass, 'Zona?" Teddy said.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Teds." She responded, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

After a bit more training, a drill sergeant made an announcement. "Here we go, soldiers. We're going to start a competition to see who the strongest and fiercest soldiers are. Each platoon will then send their strongest male and female against the other platoon's. At the end of time, whoever is in dominating position will move on. Only rules are no biting, tickling, scratching, nor punching allowed. Try not hurt your vaginas, weaklings."

After a few rounds, Arizona was fairly confident that she would take the title, until she noticed that Callie had also managed to beat out her opponents. As luck would have it, they were the final two to battle it out for the title.

"Wow, Private Robbins, you seem to know how to fight. I'm a bit surprised, to say the least." Callie smiled.

"I grew up with brothers and the name Arizona, I learned how to fight from an early age. Believe me when I say that I can take out anybody that crosses my path."

"Cocky much, Robbins? Keep dreaming." Callie lifted an amused eyebrow.

"Definitely in my dreams, but believe me, "cock" has nothing to do with it." She winked.

The fight began with the two nervous girls slowly taking each other down. Arizona seized her first opportunity and quickly mounted the tanned girl.

"You wanna quit right now, Torres, or do you want to lose the hard way?" A sly smile plastered on her face. There was nothing wrong with a little trash talking.

"Ooo, are you trying to intimidate me, Robbins? Don't worry you're going to go down faster than a paid hooker." She had to giggle at the last part.

Callie harshly kneed the girl on her butt causing her to fall forward over Callie's head. Swiftly, she flipped Arizona onto her onto her back, gripping the thighs still tightly wound around her waist.

Lowering her head a mere inches from Arizona's face, she heard the blonde whisper, "You don't have to pay me to venture south, Calliope." She knew she was going to pay for that later."

"Haha, you know, I kinda like you in this position." Callie responded. She winked as her hands traveled down Arizona's thighs. "But, what's that got to with me kicking your ass, right now?" She smirked.

Unable to handle the distance, Arizona laced her arms around Callie's neck pulling herself up to meet the other girl's face.

"You really think you're going to be wearing the strap, Callie?" She moaned into the latina's ears.

Realizing that her opponent was paralyzed at the spot, Arizona released her thighs and easily turned Callie onto her stomach. She tightly wrapped her thighs around Callie's midsection from behind. Using her arms, she easily placed Callie into a little choke hold.

'She wants to play dirty, huh. Fine.' Callie laid her head back onto Arizona's shoulder and moaned, "God, I love it from behind."

Arizona swallowed and subconsciously dropped her grip on the girl's neck. Without a blink, Callie flipped them and quickly mounted Arizona.

"Sorry, sweetie, but I don't like to be choked." Callie smiled triumphantly.

"TIME! Very -um- heated fight, soldiers. I -um- obviously, Torres is the winner with the final mount. Really good show, really, really good show. Let's get the boys out here now."

As they walked back to the sidelines, Callie leaned towards Arizona and couldn't help continue the teasing.

"It was fun being your first." She suppressed a laugh.

"Ummm, wait, what?" 'Did she just say that'

"I'm the first to take down the infamous Arizona Robbins." She knew her words had flustered the smaller girl, and she was loving every bit of it.

Arizona could only shake her head. 'This girl is going to be trouble.'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Yeay! More tension. How long is going to be before these two pop into a wet mess of hormones? Stay tuned to find out!

To all you Jackson folk, I'm sure some of you remember the "Beach." What a horrible place! I'm sure I still have sand in my uniforms. We actually stopped going there after a girl broke her pelvis. (We had been doing bear crawls in full battle rattle) It's that damn 35-pound bullet proof vest, I tell ya. Not to mention all the other crap we wear.

Let us not forget combatives. This was definitely a fun time, for me, but it sure is tough. There were more giggles than anything, and I wanna thank my battle buddies for showering before hand! Unfortunately, we did have 2 broken fingers and a severely sprained ankle in our cycle, and we were only beginners. It can get intense when you've trained in it for a while. Some scary MMA shit. It was a bit difficult to write since I can easily see the moves, but hopefully, you guys got the picture!

Keep the review coming, mis amigos! Thank you! Gracias! Danke! Merci! Spasibo!...That's all I know. ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Rating: M**

**A/N: **You guys have been super awesome!Keep sending good words, even criticism...I'm addicted to commas and ellipses and I overuse definitely...Yeah, I have a problem. :)

Since it is Basic Training and there are hundreds of girls living in close quarters, we need the drama. Oh, and there's lots of it! I meant to keep it funny and fluffy, but I couldn't ignore the amount of problems that we faced...apart from the swine flu outbreak, mad colds, and athlete's foot. _:::shudder:::_

Honestly, the worst part of training has to be the people. Girls, oddly, tend to steal underwear and sportsbras. I had to label each one of my white, ugly granny panties. There's plenty of fighting...I witnessed someone breaking a full food tray over someone's head...a guy butt stroking (ouch) another guy in the face...horrible things. Also, there's definitely the ultimate in passive aggressiveness...someone took a shit in another person's laundry bag...bleach in canteens...No worries, the guys totally deserved it, though. :)

**Becca:** The Royal Army, huh? That's so awesome! I've never had the pleasure of training or serving next to them, but I've heard that they're badass. Respect.

**Arkantoz: **Ooo, the Navy...I really hate water...haha, but welcome aboard, Midshipmen! Are you ROTC-ing or Annapolis?

**Bennieb:** Wow! An Airborne soldier! Mad respect for jumping...high speed! I've always wanted to go, but I doubt my knees would be able to handle it, not to mention the impossibility of getting a slot in my unit. I am hoping for Air Assault School, though!

This beginning cadence is an old favorite of mine...(It's called 'Till I Get On Back Home) If any of you need some motivation during your workouts, I highly recommend listening to some cadence/jodies. It will help your breathing patterns and also lenghtens your stride. Give them a listen. Hooah!

* * *

><p>"<strong>Used to date a beauty queen<strong>!" (Used to date a beauty queen)

"**Now, I'm dating my M16!**" (Now, I'm dating my M16)

"**And, it won't be long!**" (And, it won't be long)

"**Till I (**Hey!**) Till I (**Hey!**) Till I get on back home**" (Till I (Hey!) Till I (Hey!) Till I get on back home!)

The company roared its cadence as they arrived back to the grounds from lunch chow. It had been a bit lonely for Arizona since Callie had gone to sick call earlier in the morning to treat a stomach bug. Physical training, or PT as it's called, was especially brutal since she didn't have the brunette as her partner. Sit-ups, in fact, had been the worst part.

'Ugh, there's a reason we have to wear spandex under our shorts…not to mention shower daily. Ew, boys are so gross.' She thought back to the morning. 'I just wish Callie was back.'

As she recalled the past week, she had to smile. Following their heated combatives match, their mood had completely changed. Every little conversation, movement, and thought had become dirtier than the last. It is true when they say that the Army makes your thoughts and mouth dirty. Though, even she was taken aback from her use of such vulgar language. It was so unlike her, but this was different. They were soldiers now, and the part of the package is swearing like a sailor….or in this case, like a good ol' private.

What surprised her the most is the amount of suicide-alert cases within her company. Most of them were obviously excuses for leaving training, since you can't voluntarily opt out of your contract. Some, however, were very serious...people really were going crazy. The suicide cases were easy to spot. They wore a bright orange vest with the words "I quit" in huge lettering. The had no belts, no shoe laces, nor anything sharp on their uniform. It was sad to see that some of them just couldn't handle the stress of training.

'Better now than in the heat of battle, right?' Arizona thought.

* * *

><p>They had been standing in a silent formation when a familiar, yet distant voice was heard from within the company.<p>

"Is that you, John Wayne? Is this me?" She immediately recognized the voice as belonging to Sloan, the established platoon joker.

"Who said that? WHO THE FUCK SAID THAT? Who's the slimy, little communist shit, twinkle toes, cocksucker down here who just signed his own death warrant?" A drill sergeant boomed.

"Was it you, you scroungy little fuck?" He focused on a terrified soldier.

"No, drill sergeant, it was Sloan, I swear!"

"Wow, aren't you a fucking tattle-tail. Too fucking selfish to take the heat for a battle buddy. I bet you're the kind of guy who would fuck a person in the ass and not even have the goddamn common courtesy to give him a reach around! You little piece of shit!"

The drill sergeants never ceased to amaze her with their colorful language, but at least they had backed down a bit since their cycle had entered White Phase. White Phase began their mastery of basic rifle marksmanship. Since day 1, they had been carrying real M16 rifles on them at all times, but now, they were going to shoot them. The goal of this phase is to shoot at least a 23 out of 40 at a pop-up range. If they cannot pass the standard, then they would wash out and recycled into a new company. In addition to the M16 rifle, they will also become familiar and shoot various other rifles/submachine guns. (M4, M240, M249, 50 Cal, Mark 19, M203 Grenade Launcher, and the AT4)

Arizona had nothing to worry about. Her father had made sure that all of his kids were proficient and trained on how to handle and shoot a weapon. After all, in wartime, nobody wanted to pull a Jessica Lynch.

* * *

><p>As she stood in formation, she noticed a movement on the edges of her sight and dared to take a quick peek.<p>

She quickly made out the figure to be none other than Callie, throwing her head back in obvious laughter. 'That infectious laugh. Those pearly whites, and that mega-watt smile. _:::sigh:::_' She had been walking next to another soldier who she knew was named Hahn.

'She's so beautiful when she laughs. Must have been a really good joke.' The blonde smiled. Her smile faded, however, when she noticed the other girl's arm snake its way around the Latina's waist. It lingered there until the brunette distanced herself as they reached the grounds.

'Lime green jello, Arizona, is not your favorite flavor.' She told herself, but she just couldn't help herself. 'Who does this Hahn girl think she is, and why is she touching my Callie. Calm down, 'Zona. She's not yours…yet.' She smiled.

* * *

><p>Callie spotted Arizona easily because of her obvious shortness…or fun-size, as Arizona called herself. She had spent the morning at sick call because of a bout of nausea and vomiting. It was determined to be bad food, so Callie was sent back with another recruit.<p>

Her name was Hahn, Erica Hahn, and she was also a member of second platoon. They had gotten along easily, but there was also this air of awkwardness that emanated from the girl. She had become a bit too touchy for Callie's liking, but she put up with it in the hopes of making a new friend.

It wasn't that she wanted to get away from Arizona, quite the opposite, but their flirting had gotten to the point where Callie wasn't control of her body. She hated feeling a loss of control, and Arizona made her unable to concentrate on anything….other than her creamy, soft skin…her adorable dimples outlining that infectious smile…or those crystal blue eyes holding great lust and depth….

'You're doing it again, so stop it!' Callie silently yelled to herself.

"So, can I ask you a personal question?" Erica said, breaking through Callie's daydream.

"Hmm, oh - uh, sure." Callie raised an eyebrow.

"Are you and Robbins an item, or something?"

"Wha- No. No, No, absolutely not!" Fear coursed through her body.

"Oh, ok, good. I was just wondering since you guys seem to be inseparable, not to mention the ridiculous tension between you two. Actually, I think she really likes you….like, a lot. I'm just saying, but then again, you are amazingly hot, so I wouldn't put it past her." Erica lowered her voice as she ended, keeping her eyes glued to Latina's brown ones.

"Oh, thanks. I guess, but Arizona is insanely hot herself, so I'm sure that she's definitely not into me. She could have anyone she wants…" She awkwardly smiled before returning back to her daydream.

Noticing the obvious look of lust darkening the brunette's eyes, Erica couldn't help but feel a jealous anger rising inside her. She had had her eyes on the brunette since day zero, and she had been determined to have her.

'McPerky is definitely going to be a problem.' She thought as she eyed the nearing blonde looking in their direction. 'She needs to be dealt with.'

"Hey, Robbins!"

"Hey! How was your morning? Are you going to be ok?" Arizona's eyes were shrouded in worry.

"Yeah, just a bug, no biggie. You miss me?"

"Ugh, are you kidding me? I was forced to see some things I never want to think about ever again. You know, I never thought about the fact that guy's leg hair was an extension of their pubes….gross." Arizona scrunched her face up in amusement.

"Haha, you're adorable, but don't worry. Now, they only thing you'll have gawk at are my awesome thighs as you hold my feet."

"Good. Anyway, I noticed that you and Hahn got a bit chummy." She said with obvious failure at hiding any malicious undertones.

"Oh, her? Yeah, we talked a bit. Nice girl." Callie forced out a smile. She was definitely not mentioning anything else they had spoken about.

* * *

><p>Later than night, Arizona and Callie were preparing for the annoying 1-3am fire guard shift. They began by cleaning the shower area, much to their disgust. Hair, soap scum, and mountains of sand always accumulated in the shower forming gross piles of….well, grossness. Luckily, they worked well as partners and quickly managed to clean the area.<p>

They worked under a comfortable silence when they heard their walkie talkie sound from its resting place in the bathroom. The loud noise caused them to jump out of surprise and run towards it. The wet floor, however had other plans as they both slipped on the slick mixture of cleaner and water.

"Ooph, son of biscuit!" Arizona gasped as she collided with the hard tile floor. Before she could realize what had happened, she was met with the full weight of her battle. Callie had been unable to avoid the stumbling blonde and ungracefully fell atop her.

As they both recovered from their initial shock, they noticed the compromising position that they were currently in. Callie's hands on either side of her head, her legs straddling her. Her body was on fire at seeing the brunette from this angle. Arizona forgot about the cold, wet floor soaking the back of her uniform, everything else ceased to matter.

'Oh, god'

Unable to break any eye contact, Arizona continued to look deeper and deeper into those warm, chocolate brown eyes. Instinctively, she dropped her gaze onto the supple lips of the tan girl. They looked so soft and tender. She nearly died at the sight of Callie's painfully-slow moving tongue moistening both lips in obvious anticipation.

Without hesitating, Callie lowered her head slowly hoping for some reassurance from the smaller girl. Arizona pulled her face up to meet her…her heart pounding out of her chest…waiting for that first bit of contact. The inches became centimeters…millimeters…molecules…

As their lips made contact for the first time, an intense, fiery feeling spread throughout their bodies. Unable to move, they maintained the strong, rough kiss. Moans and groans were shared, neither one of them knowing their source. An intense passion filled them and brought them into their own world, away from the stress of training, from the glaring eyes of the army. It was only the two of them.

Callie grasped the girl's collar roughly as she pressed herself harder into the kiss. Emboldened, Arizona slowly licked the outline of the Latina's lips silently asking for permission to enter. Callie gladly obliged and began to open her mouth, daring to take the kiss to a much deeper level.

"Oh, my god!" A voice tore them violently apart from each other.

Arizona quickly bucked Callie off of her, sending her flying into the wet floor. As they scrambled to locate the owner of the voice they noticed a very tired and annoyed looking Erica.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" She all but screamed.

"Nothing!" Both of them replied together.

"Really? You're lucky it was me and not a drill sergeant that saw you force her to kiss you, Robbins." Erica said angrily.

"Wait, what? I wasn't forcing myself on her. You have no idea…you know, just shut up and get back to your bed, Hahn. This doesn't concern you." Arizona spat.

"Please, Erica. Just drop it. Get to bed, and please forget about all of this." Callie spoke softly.

Huffing away, Erica was seething. 'How dare she force herself onto poor Callie. That bitch. She's going to pay for that…there's no way she's going to get MY girl.' She smiled to herself. 'The only question is how?'

Erica scanned the room trying to cook up a good plot to remove Arizona from the picture when her eyes landed on her rifle. A smile crawled through her face. 'Oh, this is going to be fun.'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Dun, Dun, Duuuunnnn...Yay! They finally kissed...on that gross, shower floor, but whatev. It was still awesome. I'm a little jealous that they had some hot stuff in training, but I can't complain. I have an amazing girlfriend who wrote me everyday. It was a bit difficult to refer to her as my boyfriend (gross), but my closest buddies knew about her.

Yes, there were suicide cases, quite a few, actually. There's a special rule that your rifle is not allowed to go into the bathroom with you. Not for sanitary reasons, but because it's the most common place for suicides. In training, you do get a real rifle and you train with real rounds. The battalion that graduated a week after us did have a suicide. He was being recycled for failing the physical training standards, and unfortunately, it was too much for him.

Keep an eye on each other, guys. Stay safe and take care. Enjoy the awesome weather!


	7. Chapter 7

**Rating: M**

**A/N: **Sorry about updating so late, my little soldiers. I was without the interwebz for the weekend, so I'm finally posting this part up! Yeay! Ugh, I still can't believe what Erica is about to do, the bitch. I can't even believe it. :(

**Coco:** 40-fucking-rounds, fellow Wardawg! "Who let the dogs out...Boom! Wardawgs, you know, Boom!" You need to PM me right away! I hope we didn't hate each other! Really hope!

**ricecrispies: **You SN really puts a smile on my face...seriously, every time I see it, I have to let out a giggle. :) Keep making me smile, Crisp.

**Arkantoz: **Super cool that you're at Annapolis. I've got a buddy out there, and it made me realize that that life is NOT for me. Haha.

**Chakeroo:** I'm sorry about your ROTC situation, but I really hope she fall flat on her face in the next chapters, too!

**Almicah: **And, Tack to you, too, for reading my story! Keep being awesome!

Without further ado, here's the chapter...and Erica, ugh. Don't forget to review, por favor, it really makes my day when you guys send your awesome words towards me. :)

* * *

><p>After the shower incident, they both had agreed on restraining themselves, at least, until the whole Erica situation was sorted out. Painfully, they both refrained from caving into their passionate desires and settled on writing little letters to each other. While it was much less riskier than making out during fire guard, letters can still get you into a lot of trouble.<p>

'Fraternization rules, Callie.' The Latina warned herself as she noticed the latest note tucked into her locker.

The smile that graced Callie's face grew. 'Any other place and this girl would be a total perv.' She knew that Arizona

_**Hey Pretty Lady,**_

_**So, we're doing land navigation, right now. We're learning all about contour lines and the elevations of terrain features. Needless to say, I'm getting all hot and bothered…nothing new. :) Maybe when the Bitch stops being such a…well, bitch…I'll be able to feel the elevation myself on those amazing contour lines all over your body. Hahaha, ok, that was a bit too much. But, one more: I'm sure I could never get lost memorizing every single terrain feature on you, Cal. ;)**_

_**With dearest desire,**_

_**X**_

As she looked up from the letter, Callie's loving eyes made contact with a rather harsh looking blonde slowly approaching her.

'Ugh, Erica. Why can't you just leave me alone' She wanted to yell.

She wanted to make sure that she didn't offend the blonde and she hoped that their civility would cause her to leave Arizona alone.

"What do have there, Torres? A little love letter?" Erica teased with hints of anger threatening to spill over.

"Uh, no. Just a letter from home, from my family." Callie fibbed. Hoping to change the subject she asked, "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"US weapons, actually, but I've just been put on a guard duty for the weapons during chow."

'Good, less time around you.' "Well, that sucks, so I'm going to go get lined up. Have fun." Not waiting for a response, she swiftly exited the building only to be met by two bright orbs of blue.

"Ready?"

"Always." Callie smiled.

* * *

><p>Erica knew she only had around 20 minutes before the company would return, so she needed to move with a sense of urgency.<p>

"Hey, Kepner, I have to use the little girls' room, I'll be back." She shouted at her guard duty partner.

"No probs, just leave your weapon near the others." April smiled sweetly at her.

She all but ran towards the dreary-looking barracks. Quickly scanning the small room for onlookers, she beelined for the wall locker with the bold letters, "ROBBINS" taped on.

'Oh, you'll love this, Robbins,' She evilly smiled. She easily opened the masterlock…it wasn't the first time she'd done this. Rummaging through the pristine organized locker, she found it.

Opening the olive green bandoleer, she pulled out what she had been looking for. 'Do you really want to do this, Erica? Oh shut up, conscience, this is Callie we're talking about!'

Looking down at the object, she took a deep breath as she opened the canister and pulled out the thin sliver of white rubber. She quickly crammed the bit into her pocket and closed up the canister. Throwing the bag back into the locker, she locked it up and made her way back towards the weapons under her guard.

'You're going to look so hot, Robbins.' She smiled, satisfied at her self. 'It's not part of my big plan, but it'll do, for now.'

* * *

><p>"God, that lunch was good! I ate so much I'm sure the guys are going to love me tonight" Mark chimed, proudly tapping his full stomach.<p>

"Yeah, I can't believe they actually let us eat for longer than 5 minutes." Callie responded.

"Perks of phasing, probably. Anyway, what's being going on with you and your blonde buddy" Mark suggestively lifted his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Callie attempted to shrug in ignorance.

"Oh please, Cal. The PNN has been buzzing about those active barracks of yours. Nothing slides by us. I mean, last night a girl from 4th platoon hooked up with Thomas from 3rd platoon in the dumpster during their fire guard shifts. Talk about gutsy and gross."

"Oh my god, seriously? I don't know if it's worth having in the dumpsters. Then again, it's the only place that you're sure you won't be seen." She showed disgust.

"Don't avoid the question, Tor."

"Um, so we may have kissed one night. Ok, so maybe it was on the cold tiles in the shower…on the gross, grimy floor, but Mark it was amazing!" She frowned.

"So that's good, real good. Why am I sensing a 'but' in there?" He asked.

"Mark, I don't know what to do." She sighed. "I mean, we almost got caught. At the very least it would mean an Article 15, but what if I got hit with a 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' violation. That would mean the end of my career! Everything down the drain because she has a vagina and not some floppy piece of meat. It's so unfair."

"Yeah, but do you really think you're going to get caught or told on. Look at all the people fucking around here. I mean, do you really like her or is this just a hot mess o hormones?" Mark prodded.

"No, I like her. I really, really like her, Mark. And, that's what scaring me. We're not in the real world where you can just be together happily. In about 2 months, we will graduate, and we're off to AIT. I know we're both 68 Whiskeys, so we may get lucky and stay together during training, but then what? We're going to get our orders, and ship off to separate places…we're going to get deployed. Is it even worth it?" Callie felt defeated.

"Whoa, calm down, Torres. You don't know where this is going, so why don't you just play it by ear. This could be the best thing that has ever happened to you. You can't stop dreaming, right? Go for it. Either way, you may just have hot sex in the dumpsters." He smiled.

"Ew, Mark. Argh, I forgot to tell you! We were caught by Hahn the night we kissed, and she's being really weird about it."

"That awkward, blonde girl from 1st squad? Yeah, I've spoken to her on a few occasions, but she's quite the creeper. No matter what, the conversation always ends up about you. I think you may have an admirer." He teased.

"Ugh, I really hope not. I can't take more stress, anymore! Haha. Promise me that, if I get orange-vested, you'll hold my pants up when they take away my belt." She joked.

"Anything for my best bud." He smiled as he side-hugged the girl.

"Wait, what's the PNN?" Callie asked, furrowing her brow.

"The Private News Network, of course! You 1 source for the latest gossip and rumors!"

"Haha"

* * *

><p>"Change of plans, soldiers. Welcome to the Army, things get changed up at a moment's notice. We'll be doing your CBRN training. This is my favorite time of the year as I get to see your weak little asses gag, spit, and cry! No, you're not choking on dicks, how disappointing for some of you. Especially you, Sloan. I might have to take a close up photo of your blotchy, red crying face for my scrapbook! DS Morris will brief you guys"<p>

"Alright, soldiers. We are about to put you into a small room of concentrated CS gas, or tear gas. We will then have you raise your mask and state your name and MOS. You will then plop the mask back on and clear it. Once you've all cleared it, you will then fully remove it and open your eyes. You will keep it off for 1 full minute, soldiers, and then you will all walk out together. That's all soldiers. Too Easy!"

You could almost hear the hearts exploding out of everyone's chests.

"It will irritate your mucous membranes in your eyes, nose, mouth, and lungs. Basically, your noses will leak, you will feel like vomiting, and your eyes will burn like a child molester in hell! This exercise will teach you to trust your equipment and to show you the seriousness of nuclear and biological warfare. Let's do this, soldiers!"

'No sweat, Arizona. You got this' She turned to look at Callie who stood right behind her. One look at that gorgeous face of hers was enough to settle any of her nerves. They had been waiting in line as groups of soldiers made their way into the small building. As they neared towards the entrance, 2 drill sergeants opened the door and approached them in full toxic, protective gear.

"GAS, GAS, GAS!" They yelled.

That was their cue to swiftly pull their gas mask out of their bandoleer and quickly slide it on her face. They had been practicing proper function, fit, and clearing of their masks in preparation of this day. It was go time.

As Arizona tightened the straps on her mask, she knew something wasn't right. The mask quickly began to fog up her lenses for her breathing. 'Shit, shit, shit. What the hell is wrong with it?'

"Are you ok, Robbins?" Callie asked from in front of her.

"Yeah, my mask is just being stupid. I'm ok, though. You ready?" She responded.

"Are you sure, maybe we should tell a drill sergeant." Callie's concern for the blonde rising.

"No, I'm fine. I can handle a little gas. How bad can it be?" She weakly smiled.

As they entered the foggy and dimly lit room, Callie could feel the burning sensation growing on her scalp and neck. 'God, it burns already.'

Within a few seconds of entering the room, she felt Arizona tightly pulled on her top.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Oh my god. What a horrible person is she? Erica removed the flap that allows you to breath out, but not directly in. There was a soldier who had issues with his mask because he didn't test it out properly. The drill sergeants will just make you stay in and take it. Seriously, the gas chamber was a terrible experience. I recomment that you all Youtube: Army Basic Training Gas Chamber, to see what it's all about. BUT, don't let it deter any of you from joining out of fear, it's over fast and it's a good memory...a snotty, teary one...

I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Erica will be back, of course. :::groan::: But, tune in next time to see what happens in the chamber!

Stay Classy, :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Rating: M**

**A/N: **Thanks for all your feedback, guys. I usually tend to be in class when I read my e-mail, so when I get the review alerts, they really make my day. Keep them coming! Any criticism, praise, anything! I really love the little notes you guys add in your reviews. Your experiences, stories, and side remarks...keep sending them in. I like to feel a bit connected to my readers since you guys are witnessing a small bit of my life. If you don't, I might have to drop you guys and make you do push ups. ;)

**ricecrispies: **Still can't stop smiling when I see it. I feel like you have to be quite a funny and cool person to choose that as your SN. :)

**DeviantOrchid:** That sense of accomplishment is one of the most amazing feelings that I have ever had. When we completed our last road march after our 6-days out in the field (living in the woods), I teared up knowing that I had done it. I had made it without washing out. It's an amazing feeling that surpasses all the shittyness of training.

**OnTheRox**: That's an awesome attitude you have there. Don't let anything/anyone scare or stop you from achieving what you want. Don't forget, the armed forces are first and foremost alternative lifestyles. Leadership, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage are the 7 Army values. That's what being a soldier is about, even though some people see us as mere killing machines.

**arizonalove:** Yeah, if you walk in, you're not getting out early...otherwise, they make you do it again. I don't know what the bird flapping does, but we were told to do the same thing.

The pictures of the gas chamber are awesome, though. Close ups of snot rivers and burning eyes...I'll always treasure my beautifully scrunched up and pained face. Haha. This chapter was hastily written, so I apologize for the mistakes. They are all mine. Enjoy and don't forget to review!

* * *

><p>Arizona couldn't believe the burning feeling invading every pore in her skin. Holding her breath as best she could, she prayed for the moment to be over. Everyone around her began staring at her with confusion and concern. She was the only one coughing and crying within the group, and the "fun" hadn't even started.<p>

'Why is this happening to me?' She pleaded with the heavens. She clenched her eyes shut, urging the searing pain to leave her lungs.

"This, soldiers, is a prime example of not being battle ready! Robbins here, decided that she didn't need to check and test her mask out before hand." Coming face-to-face, or in this case mask-to-mask, with Arizona, the DS didn't hesitate to lay it on her. "This is how soldiers die, Robbins! When you are not prepared, lives are lost! When you go to Iraq, you think a sniper will hesitate to shoot your brains out because your helmet isn't on right or your gear is missing. Who the fuck is your battle buddy!"

Enduring a coughing fit, Arizona kept her mouth shut. 'This is not her fault, she didn't do anything. I checked my mask out yesterday.' She wanted to yell.

"It's me, drill sergeant. I'm her battle buddy." Callie spoke up.

"Really? You left your battle buddy unchecked, and now, look at her! If this was real, she would be dead. A Dirty Bomb just exploded near your platoon and you'll watch her die. You would be responsible for her fucking death. Are you prepared to tell her parents that you let their daughter die? To look them in their eyes and break the news to them." He yelled.

"No, drill sergeant!" Callie yelled felt her tears well up. She should have been paying more attention to the blonde. She should have said something when her mask was fogging up. 'Why didn't I do something about this.'

"Torres, take your fucking mask off. If she suffers, then you do, too! In fact, everybody take your masks off. One mistake affects everyone. This is what basic training is about to show you what teamwork is. You need to rely on each other to stay alive. This is real…some of you might die out there. You need to take care of each other, no matter how much you hate the asshole!" The DS wavered off.

* * *

><p>It was a relief when the company was transported back to the barracks where they were instructed to shower and immediately wash their uniforms. For the rest of the afternoon, Arizona endured countless harassment over their punishment.<p>

"Seriously, Robbins. You had 3 fucking days to check your mask." Yelled a girl from her platoon.

"I did check it, everything was right with it. I don't know how but the rubber valve piece was gone." Arizona pleaded. She was already stressed because of her long exposure, so taking fire for it was pushing it.

"What do you mean? Like someone messed with your mask?" The girl questioned.

"I don't know. Who would do something like this, anyway?" Arizona thought. 'Who would purposely hurt me like this...Hahn, that fucking bitch. Of course!' Before making any dumb moves, she settled her nerves and thought up a plan. She wouldn't lay a finger on the girl, but she needed a way to get back at her...then, it hit her.

"Of course!" She yelled out

"What?" Said the confused girl.

"Nothing...just thinking..." Arizona smiled.

* * *

><p>That evening, the drill sergeant called them both into his office.<p>

"Drill sergeant, Private Torres and Robbins…" Callie began.

"Sit down, privates." DS Smith said. "I called you in because I have a special assignment for you two. When I was deployed during OIF I, we were doing a nightly security patrol in Baghdad. Before we even left for it, we were supposed to PCCs, or Pre-Combat Checks, with our squads and battle buddies. My battle buddy was my best friend, and instead of checking each other, we just hung out waiting for the go-ahead from our Squad Leader. If I would have checked him, I would have noticed that he wasn't wearing his plates in his bullet-proof vest. Who would have thought. We had been in countless patrols, convoys and not a shot had been fired….." He paused and swallowed hard. "It was so dark, that we didn't see it. We had been ambushed from a few guys atop a rooftop. First, an RPG hit us from the front, so we hit the deck. Then, the bullets started flying. For nearly an hour, we were shooting…we shot and then it went quiet. It was then that I realized that he'd been shot. He was shot in the back, privates…my best friend was shot IN THE FUCKING BACK….If I would have checked him like I should have, he'd be here, right now." Suppressing tears, he turned his attention back to the two and composed himself.

"I'm going to give you guys a homework assignment. Had this been real life, one or more of you could have died…I want you to take this seriously, so I want you to talk to every soldier in your platoon. You will learn about their families, and then you will write letters to their parents. In these letters, you will break the news of their death and you will apologize for not being there to protect them. In a few days, you will read each and every one of them to the platoon. You will learn that these guys are your family, and that their families are like your own. You don't want to hurt them. Understand me?"

"Yes, drill sergeant." They both repeated.

* * *

><p>It was 2am when Arizona was shook awake. Blinking her sleep awake, she noticed that it had been Kepner.<p>

"Hey, what's up?" She asked groggily.

"Sorry for waking you up but Torres is crying in the supply closet." She shyly told the blonde.

"Shit, really?" She jumped off her bunk and went into the bathroom. Her heart broke the moment she noticed the slumped figure silently shaking in the closet.

"Didn't anyone tell you, Torres. Closets are for clothes…er, cleaning supplies, in this case, not hot, army babes." Arizona smirked at her as she sat opposite of her in the cramped closet.

"Haha, I'm sorry you have to see me like this, Robbins. Why are you even up?" She quickly attempted to dry her eyes.

"First of all, let's end this whole last name business. Call me Arizona. And second, my battle needs my help and I'm going to be there for her. So, what's got you all teary-eyed?"

"Nothing…just me being a stupid girl, as usual." Callie laughed through her tears.

"No, it's not 'nothing,' Calliope." She stressed the ending earning a glare from the brunette. "Don't lie to me."

"It's just - I can't - I can't lose you." She blurted it out. "What if something happens to you, and it's because of me. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I know they say that you should take a bullet for your battle buddy, but I couldn't live with myself if you died for me." Callie broke down into sobs. "Writing that letter to your parents was heart-wrenching. The idea that I could be responsible for the death of their amazing, little girl…I would never forgive myself."

"Hey, you're not going to lose me, ok?" She held on to the girl. "We're going to be ok. We're medics, we're going to be saving lives, for Christ's sake!"

Grabbing the brunette's face between her hands. She forced the girl to look her straight in the eye.

"Listen to me, Calliope. I'm fine. We'll be fine." She pressed her forehead against the other girl. "We're not just strong…we're Army strong. And, you know what that means? It's a physical strength, it's an emotional strength, it's a strength in character, it's the strength of purpose. There is nothing on this green Earth that is stronger than the US Army because there is nothing stronger than a US Army soldier. You hear me, Calliope? You are strong!"

"Haha, that sounds a little familiar, Arizona." Callie whispered on the blonde's lips before focusing on the bright blue eyes in front of her.

Their eyes locked as blue hit brown with an incredible wave of force. Without noticing both girls began to move forward, colliding their lips softly and nervously, as if gauging the other's response.

Callie noticed Arizona visibly relax into the kiss, and took it to the next level. Roughly, she pulled the blonde's collar towards her and plunged her tongue into the girl's warm mouth.

'Oh, god. She tastes so good…so sweet…so perfect.' Callie thought.

Feeling Arizona moan deeply into her mouth, Callie softly bit the girl's bottom lip and slowly pulled on it, keeping close eye contact with her.

Unable to suppress her ever-growing desires, Arizona immediately responded by pulling Callie onto her lap. Callie took advantage of her new position by grinding her hips into the blonde's midsection eliciting groans from both of them. Arizona was frantic to feel more of the brunette. Tugging on the hem of the PT t-shirt, she slowly slid her hands along the sides of Callie's warm body. The burn as their skin met was unexplainable.

"Oh god, Arizonaaaa….." Callie moaned, throwing her head back in complete ecstasy.

Arizona's hands traveled higher until she reached the swell of her breasts. Quickly swiping against the hardening nipples, Arizona's body burned knowing that she was the cause of the Latina's motions. As she prepared to slide under the offending sports bra, Callie snapped her head back towards her.

"Wait, stop….We have to stop." Callie whispered, panting heavily against the girl. On seeing the rejection on the blonde's face, she continued.

"No, I want this…I really, really do. It's just not here. I really don't feel like having sex in a supply closet…not to mention quiet sex." Callie frowned.

"Ok, so what now?" Arizona desperately questioned.

"Follow me…" Callie smiled.

She sprang up from the closet floor and led the blonde out of the bathroom.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Oooo, where are these two going? Stay tuned to find out more. ;)

The story about the letter writing was a real punishment for one girl. She left her (real, mind you) rifle unattended and it was taken by a drill sergeant. Our DS forced her to interview us and write our parents letters informing them of our death. In the letters, she wrote about how her stolen rifle was used to kill us in a mass shooting. It was unbelievable at first, but you realized that your mistakes affect everyone. One mistake could cost precious lives. Be careful, all you soldiers and civilians. Watch out for each other.

OPSEC. ;)


	9. Chapter 9

**Rating: M**

**A/N: **I'm sorry for taking WAAAAYY too long to post another chapter on this fic, I've just had quite the hectic month. Plus, I haven't had internet...no facebook, no fanfiction, no tumblr...such horrid conditions! But, I guess this is what I get for having foreign parent who don't understand what's going on. I'm sure some of you can relate to the parents who still talk about the evils of electronics and blah, blah, blah. I wouldn't have it any other way, though! I love my family.

I'm really not happy about this chapter, but it's something. :/ Thanks a bunch to **ricecrispies** who blackmailed me into pumping out another chapter. By the way, her fics rock. And, if you haven't given them a peek, you should!

**Sidenotes: **An MRE is a Meal-Ready-to-Eat. They're these gross rations in brown, air-sealed bags. This chapter also deals with the M16 qualification, easily the most important part of training. You are given 40 rounds and you have 40 pop up targets that vary in distance from 50m to 300m. You shoot in 3 different positions: On your stomach with supports for your rifle, on your stomach with no support, and kneeling. You have to shoot down at least 23 targets to pass.

Don't forget to send me some words. A reviewed author is a happy author who will crank out more chapters.

* * *

><p>Callie grips Arizona's soft hand and pulled her towards the main part of the bay. She notices Teddy sitting with Kepner at the fireguard's desk, and quickly makes her way over to them.<p>

"I need a favor…a small, teeny-weeny favor" Callie asks while biting her lip.

Teddy quickly notices their entwined hands and disheveled look. "What? No way, Torres. There's no way I'm letting you out of this bay so you could butter each other's muffins."

"C'mon Teds, all we're asking for is 20 minutes max outside. Please?" Arizona begged.

"Seriously, Arizona. My shift is over in 10 minutes, and then there's no telling when the DS on duty comes for a surprise check. If you're not in bed when she comes around, it's my head on the chopping block. Why can't you guys just have sex during the day like everyone else does?" Teddy harshly whispered.

Callie quipped in, "You can just say that you didn't see us leave. We'll take all the heat if something happens, we promise."

"Promise what?" A harsh, DS said as she walked into the bay. She quickly surveyed the area and looked suspiciously over at the 4 startled girls.

"Huh? Who's on duty and why the hell are you other two awake?" She demanded.

"Um, we are, Drill Sergeant. These two are just our replacements….they, uh, woke up early." Kepner managed to say while everyone else stood frozen in their spot.

Satisfied with her answer, the Drill Sergeant proceeded to count the heads and weapons in the bay. Before leaving, however, she walked up to every wall locker that had an open lock and proceeded to dump the contents of them…loudly over the floor. Very few people ever locked their lockers at night in case they needed something during the dark night.

As most of the bay woke up from the loud clatter she yelled out, "I'll be back, so clean this shit up and lock those fucking locks!" She was gone as quickly as she came.

Teddy turned to look at them with a triumphant gaze. "I never want to see you two during my fire guard shifts ever again." She strode off.

"Rain check?" Arizona smiled at Callie.

"You know it." Callie replied before making her way back to her now-empty locker. 'This is going to be a long night.'

* * *

><p>It had been 4 days since the fireguard encounter, but neither one of them had initiated a repeat of their night tryst. They easily settled back into writing each other flirty letters throughout the day and stealing kisses in the night hours. They were both happy within their secret little bubble, but they knew their need for more was going to take over them soon.<p>

For the past few days, they had begun their last weapons qualifications for the M16. Today was the last day of quals at the range.

'Wow, this is beyond disgusting. There's just something about food doesn't spoil for years that is just wrong' Callie thought as she spit out the remnants of the Veggie Burger MRE onto the grass. Sifting through the rest of her meal: Bread, potato sticks, and a dry, cinnamon scone. All sealed in air-tight, moisture-free brown pouches, of course!

"Mmm, the food of champions!" spoke a familiar voice that brought Callie out of her inner dialogue. Arizona plopped herself beside the Latina with great exhaustion and proceeded to lie back on the grass.

Callie took this moment to quietly look over at the blonde. Even though her uniform was completely soaked and muddied in the front, she couldn't help but smile at the adorable figure beside her. Her lop-sided combat helmet was unbuckled and her disheveled hair fell into curls framing her face. Even the small specks of mud on her chin were "aww" worthy. 'So, this is what a world-class professional soldier looks like.

"Calliope, are you listening to me?" The brunette blushed at her obvious day-dreaming.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about how gross this shit is. You wanna trade? I got the amazing Veggie Burger…" Callie persuaded.

"Hehe, no way, Jose. I got Chili Mac and you're going to have to pry it off my dead hands." She said in mock seriousness.

"Ugh, you suck. So, how'd you do, sharpshooter? Did you hit Hawkeye yet?" Callie asked.

"Naw, it was my last go and I only hit 38. At least, it's expert. How about yourself?" She spoke before she took a spoonful of cold Chili Mac.

"I passed…and, that's all I'm going to say about that." Callie hated that she had so much trouble with shooting. It was all about controlling your breathing and your trigger squeeze, but she couldn't seem to calm herself with the powerful weapon in her hands.

"Don't worry about it. When we're in the Sandbox and in Crapistan, I'll save you from the bad guys. I've got your back. Though, can you imagine that? If we were both deployed at the same time. I think the only way I could ever enjoy 130 degree weather in a combat zone is with you. I'd gladly burn some poop pits with you." Arizona smiled.

"Aw, that's so sweet." Callie said with a hint of sarcasm. "I'll go one better and definitely make you my emergency contact number. Plus, I'll even add you to my life insurance to receive a whole $10 in the event of my death or capture."

"Wow, the things I could do with that money!" Arizona mock gasped. "Fucking Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I feel so bad for the guys that can't even put down their partners down as next-of-kin or beneficiaries. It's horrible! Having to hide your life during a deployment, using different names, hiding during phone or skype calls. You should never have to hide you are when your life is in danger. It's so depressing."

"I know. You work so hard to serve your country, you give your life in the ultimate sacrifice, and they care who you're munching on. I wonder if they look over Arlington National Cemetery and dare ask which the gay ones are." Callie said sadly.

"But, you join anyway. You sign away your life for something greater than yourself. You serve selflessly, quietly, and proudly, right Calliope?" Arizona asked as she held her plastic beverage bag to Callie.

"Amen to that." The toasted.

"Robbins! Get your lazy-ass over to the ammo point!" Yelled a drill sergeant.

"Fuck me…I guess I'll see you around, Cal." She said without waiting for a response. She bolted at full speed trying her hardest not to trip over anything. Moving as quickly as possible while adjusting her gear was no easy feat for anybody.

"MOVE, YOU! Seriously, how the fuck did millions of sperm not beat you to the punch? Shit, the best part of you must have dribbled down your mom's leg…."

"Moving, Drill Sergeant!" The blonde yelled smiling as she clumsily ran into the ammo point shack.

"You know, Robbins, you remind me of a little campfire. Cheerful but not too bright." He muttered as he turned around.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant." She smiled to herself. 'Just when you think you've heard it all.'

* * *

><p>"Blondie! Looks like you're on Ammo with me. Think you can take my load?" Mark Sloan winked as he appeared next to her holding out a few magazine loads for her. "So, what'd you do to end up in this carbon prison?"<p>

"What do you mean?" Arizona questioned.

"Well, I'm doing this because a DS make a sex joke about my mom. For once, I actually keep my mouth shut, and he goes off on me for not defending my mom. He calls me a pussy and sends me over here. Haha, I just can't win with these guys, but Hey, at least I've got some pretty amazing guns. Care to cop a feel? Remember, it's not rape if I'm willing." He smirked at her.

"Oh, shove it, Mark." She laughed at him. Mark was a great guy, a bit on the crude side, but always a blast to hang out with.

"Ugh, it's getting so late. How many people are still left?" Arizona frowned.

"Um, about 4, I think. This is the last day for qualifying, so if they don't make it through today, they're being washed out into another company." Mark replied.

"Who are they? Do you know?" The blonde asked.

He squinted at the firing line. "Looks like Amos, Harden, Bennett, and…Hahn."

"Hahn, seriously? Oh my god, she needs to fuck this up. Imagine her getting transferred! That would be too amazing!" She turned to look at Mark, who had one eyebrow raised. "I'm sorry, Sloan, but I hate her damn guts. I just want her out of here."

"Hey, hey. I'm not judging, it's just a bit out of character for you to wish for the recycling of a fellow recruit." He smiled before looking around. "….So, why don't you do something about it?" He dared.

"What do you mean? What could I possibly do?" Arizona whispered towards him.

"Well, we do control how many bullets they get, right? So maybe you should :::cough::: you know remove a few :::cough::: from the magazines :::cough:::….just saying." He said as he walked towards the other end of the shack.

'Oh my god, should I really do this? Can I purposely sabotage a fellow soldier?' She quietly stared at the two magazines lying in front of her. 'All I have to do is slide a few bullets out of the magazine. Just 2 would be ok, right?' Arizona argued with her conscience for a few minutes trying to internally debate her conscience. After a few more minutes of staring, she finally moved to grab the two magazine holding the 40 bullets.

"Thanks, Robbins." Erica said curtly to her as she grabbed the two magazines and made her way to the last firing iteration.

* * *

><p>"So, did you do it?" Mark eagerly asked her practically jumping up and down.<p>

"No, she grabbed it before I could actually do anything." Arizona said sadly. 'God, why don't I ever have the balls to do anything bad? Ugh, please don't make it.'

"Geez, Blondie. I knew I should have done it myself. Well, you never know. She's missed the last 40 million times, so what's one more? She's in lane 7, so we'll hear her score when they announce them."

After the quick iteration of 40 targets was over, Arizona and Mark were eagerly awaiting the scores to sound from the radio tower. As they heard it sound to life, they held their breaths.

"Alright, this was for all the marbles, soldiers. The last iteration scores are: Lane 1 - 24, Lane 2 - 22, Lane 3 - 27, and finally Lane 4.…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Will she make it? Dun, dun, duuuunnnn. Sorry for delaying their little personal time, but nighttime secks is a bit too risky in the bays. I'm not sure our girls have the "balls" for that sort of risk...soon, though...I promise.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal is moving smoothly. I just got my training for it. Basically, a "Don't be an asshole to the gays and deal with it" presentation. It's good to know that we need training on how to respect each other...ugh.

I'll leave you guys with some good words: Stay Classy, don't drink and drive, cover your stump before you hump (or for us gays: Don't drink and adopt), and friends don't let friends vote Republican. :)


End file.
